A new report by the UNDP addresses the predicament of tackling vulnerability stemming from environmental impacts on food security, malnutrition and displacement coupled with growing conflict in the Arab states. Looking at Mashreq, Maghreb, Arab Gulf and the Horn of Africa it envelops experiences from several countries in these four sub-regions.
While nursing climate resilience is at the top of the respective countries’ agenda, they often find themselves fighting incessant hurdles in the form of financing, technical know-how and policy making. Growing scarcity of natural resources, its mismanagement, (subsequent) poverty and lack of development is further compounded by climate change. A recent Clingendael/PSI policy brief highlights some of these challenges in Iraq’s water sector. Against this background, the report aims to point out the experiences garnered and inform future planning to enable durable solutions.
An amalgamation of factors such as fragile economies, gender dimensions, water and food insecurity actuate latent tensions which then accrues violence and thrusts communities into extremism. Potential approaches to prevent from or counter this are mentioned in the report such as empowering NGO’s, ergo stimulating community-based action; training farmers to share best practices whilst engaging in cultivation of hybrid crops; promoting diversification of livelihoods etc.
Click here to read the full report.